Packers top Texans, 42-24; Week 6 NFL roundup
HOUSTON This was more like it for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
The reigning MVP set a career high and tied a franchise record with six touchdown passes and the Packers played their best game of their so far inconsistent season, beating previously unbeaten Houston, 42-24, Sunday night.
Jordy Nelson caught three touchdown passes and James Jones had two, including a beautiful, diving one-hander in the fourth quarter for the Packers (3-3). Tight end Tom Crabtree had the other, a 48-yarder that Rodgers released just before taking a hit from Texans' outside linebacker Brooks Reed.
Rodgers completed 24 of 37 passes for 338 yards. He tied Matt Flynn's game record for TD passes, set in last year's regular-season finale against Detroit with Rodgers resting on the sideline in advance of the playoffs.
The Packers heard criticism from fans in Green Bay all week after blowing a 21-3 halftime lead to the Indianapolis Colts last week. Another loss would have dropped them to 2-4 for the first time since 2006, and they missed the playoffs that season.
Instead, they put themselves right back in the thick of their divisional race.
"This was an important game for us," Rodgers said. "We had a couple not go our way, games we should have won and 2-4 would have been very difficult."
Arian Foster scored two touchdowns, but ran for only 29 yards for the Texans (5-1). The loss leaves the Atlanta Falcons (6-0) as the only unbeaten team in the NFL.
SEAHAWKS 24, PATRIOTS 23
SEATTLE
Russell Wilson found Sidney Rice behind the secondary for a 46-yard touchdown with 1:18 remaining, and Seattle rallied for 14 points in the final 7:31.
The matchup between the Patriots' No. 1 ranked offense and Seattle's No. 1 defense instead turned in to a starring performance for Wilson -- and a shocking rally.
Wilson hit Braylon Edwards on fourth down for a 10-yard TD to get the Seahawks' within 23-17. After a pair of holds by Seattle's defense, Wilson found Rice open on a double move. Steven Hauschka's extra point gave Seattle the lead.
Tom Brady and the Patriots (3-3) were then stopped on fourth down at their 28 when Wes Welker came up 2 yards short, and the Seahawks (4-2) were able to celebrate the unlikely comeback.
LIONS 26, EAGLES 23
PHILADELPHIA
Jason Hanson kicked a 45-yard field goal in overtime and the Detroit Lions rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 26-23 on Sunday.
Held in check most of the game, Matthew Stafford led Detroit to 17 points in the fourth quarter. He threw a TD pass and ran for a score.
Detroit had two shots from the Eagles 1 after a pass interference penalty on Colt Anderson with 13 seconds left in regulation. But Stafford misfired on both passes and Hanson kicked a 19-yard field goal to send it to overtime.
The Lions (2-3) sacked Michael Vick on the first two plays of the extra quarter, forced a punt out of the end zone and started at midfield.
Stafford hit Calvin Johnson for a 17-yard gain to the Eagles 27 on first-and-20. A few plays later, Hanson nailed the game-winner.
The Eagles (3-3) head into their bye week with two straight losses.
REDSKINS 38, VIKINGS 26
LANDOVER, Md.
Robert Griffin III ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns, including a 76-yard scamper with 2:43 to play, and Washington snapped an eight-game home losing streak.
One week after he left the game early with his first NFL concussion, Griffin also completed 17 of 22 passes for 182 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The Redskins (3-3) feasted on a Minnesota team that had not allowed more than 23 points in a game this season. Minnesota's three-game winning streak ended. The Vikings are 4-2.
Minnesota held an early 9-0 lead but paid the price for getting field goals instead of touchdowns in the red zone.
Christian Ponder completed 35 of 52 passes for 352 yards.
FALCONS 23, RAIDERS 20
ATLANTA
Matt Bryant kicked his second game-winning field goal in three weeks, a 55-yarder with 1 second remaining.
Overcoming Matt Ryan's three interceptions, the Falcons (6-0) extended the best start in franchise history. But it wasn't easy against the pesky Raiders (1-4).
Atlanta pulled ahead when Asante Samuel returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown with 2:40 remaining, only to wind up tied again when Carson Palmer led Oakland down the field for a tying score. Darren McFadden powered in from the 2 with 40 seconds left.
That was just enough time for Ryan and Bryant to pull off another fourth-quarter victory. Ryan completed four passes to set up the winning kick.
BILLS 19, CARDINALS 16 OT
GLENDALE, Ariz.
Jairus Byrd's second interception of the game set up Rian Lindell's 25-yard field goal 3:50 into overtime.
The loss ended Arizona's eight-game home winning streak.
Byrd picked off a pass from John Skelton, who had replaced the injured Kevin Kolb, and returned it 29 yards to the Arizona 6 to set up the winning kick.
Arizona's Jay Feely kicked a franchise-record 61-yard field goal with 1:09 left in regulation to tie it 16-16, but his 38-yard attempt to win it as the fourth quarter ended careened off the left upright. Feely says someone tipped the attempt.
The Cardinals (4-2) lost their second in a row after a 4-0 start. The Bills (3-3) won after allowing 1,201 yards and 97 points in their previous two games.
GIANTS 26, 49ERS 3
SAN FRANCISCO
Antrel Rolle intercepted two passes by Alex Smith, Prince Amukamara picked off another for New York in a rematch of last season's NFC championship game.
After outscoring the Bills and Jets by a combined 79-3 the last two weeks, the 49ers (4-2) met their match again with Eli Manning and New York's top team. No overtime needed this time, and not much of Manning either.
Manning threw for 193 yards and one touchdown, Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 116 yards and a score and the Giants (4-2) rode a dominant defense and four field goals by Lawrence Tynes to hand outspoken 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh the most lopsided loss of his tenure.
RAVENS 31, COWBOYS 29
BALTIMORE
Jacoby Jones tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return and Baltimore won its 14th straight regular-season home game
Dallas ran for 227 yards, most ever against the Ravens, and totaled 481 yards offense. But the Cowboys (2-3) missed a 2-point conversion after closing to two points with 32 seconds left.
Dallas recovered the onside kick, and Dan Bailey was wide left on a 51-yard field goal try with 6 seconds left.
Ray Rice scored two touchdowns and Joe Flacco threw for a score to help the Ravens (5-1) secure their fourth consecutive victory and enhance their grip on first place in the AFC North. Baltimore's home winning streak is the longest current run in the NFL.
BUCCANEERS 38, CHIEFS 10
TAMPA, Fla.
Josh Freeman threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns and Ronde Barber scored on a 78-yard interception return.
Freeman teamed with Mike Williams on a 62-yard scoring play in the first quarter and threw TD passes of 19 and 17 yards to Vincent Jackson in the second half as the Bucs (2-3) stopped a three-game losing streak.
The Bucs intercepted Brady Quinn — starting for the Matt Cassel (concussion) — twice in the Kansas City quarterback's first start in nearly three years. They also limited NFL rushing leader Jamaal Charles to 40 yards on 12 carries.
BROWNS 34, BENGALS 24
CLEVELAND
Rookie Brandon Weeden threw two touchdown passes and Cleveland snapped an 11-game losing streak that dated to last season.
Cleveland had not won since Nov. 20, matching a franchise record for consecutive losses. But for the first time this season everything fell into place for the Browns (1-5).
Montario Hardesty, filling in for injured rookie Trent Richardson, scored on a 1-yard plunge and cornerback Sheldon Brown intercepted Andy Dalton and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Browns outscored the Bengals (3-3) in the second half 27-10.
JETS 35, COLTS 9
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
Shonn Greene ran for a career-high 161 yards and three touchdowns, Mark Sanchez was efficient and Tim Tebow made a few big plays.
Even the Jets' maligned defense was able to shut down Andrew Luck and the Colts' offense as New York snapped a two-game losing streak that had many wondering if the season was about to spiral out of control.
For a week, at least, Sanchez was in total control and the Jets (3-3) had their best overall performance — save for a handful of personal foul penalties — since an opening-week rout of Buffalo.
Indianapolis (2-3) trailed 21-6 at halftime and couldn't erase a big deficit for the second straight week after coming back from 18 points and beating Green Bay last Sunday.
DOLPHINS 17, RAMS 14
MIAMI
Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes and Miami withstood a late rally.
The Rams faced a fourth-and-8 at the Miami 48-yard line with 30 seconds left, and rather than go for a first down, coach Jeff Fisher sent out rookie Greg Zuerlein to try a 66-yard field goal, which missed wide left.
Zuerlein made two field goals to improve to 15 for 15 this season, but then missed three times in a row, including from 48 and 32 yards in the first half.
The Rams outgained the Dolphins 461-209.
Both teams are 3-3. Fisher lost to the team that courted him in January, when he chose the Rams job instead.